And a migraine was splitting my skull apart.
I saw the parking garage up ahead.
Not the one that I’d been in with Remo.
This one connected to that one by a glass catwalk. It was for valet parking, and I charged at it, not even moving the fence barrier, just squeezing in past it, feeling it slice my skin in the process.
I ran upward.
One floor.
Two.
Then made my way toward the valet booth, going inside, slamming the door, then dropping down onto the filthy ground, pulling my knees to my chest.
My hand shoved down my dress, grabbing my phone, but I was breathing too hard to make the call for a long moment.
I was still panting when I heard his voice.
“Roe? Are you alright? There’s a fire at—”
“Milo,” I cried.
“Where are you?”
“Valet parking garage. But be careful, he knows… he knows I was…”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s not going to get to you.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell him that he already had. He’d find out soon enough.
“Okay,” I said, then hung up so he wouldn’t hear me as I finally lost the battle with my tears and started to cry.
I didn’t expect them to come in like an action movie, cars knocking down the fences, tires squealing as they took the corners to come up to the second floor.
Then I heard doors.
Four of them, I think.
I stayed exactly where I was, paranoid that it was the other guys.
“Roe? Baby, come out,” Milo called.
I sucked in a steady breath and got to my feet.
I slid open the door.
Stepped outside.
The headlights were on me, making all of them fall into shadow, but giving them all a good view of me and my messed-up face.
“Fuck,” Milo said.
“That motherfucker,” Remo snarled.
Milo rushed to me, wrapping his arms around me gently, like he was afraid to hurt me anymore.
“Wait,” I called when Remo turned and stormed back to his car. “Wait. We need to talk first.”
